Missy Franklin has been named the winner of the 83rd annual Sullivan Award, which is handed out by the Amateur Athletic Union to the world’s top amateur athlete every year.
Franklin won the honor over fellow finalists Liz Brenner, a four-sport athlete at the University of Oregon, and junior weightlifter Darren Barnes.
The award was presented at a ceremony at the AAU Headquarters in Lake Buena Vista, Florida on Saturday. She becomes the 12th swimmer to win the award in its long and prestigious history.
- Ann Curtis 1944
- Don Schollander 1964
- Debbie Meyer 1968
- John Kinsella 1970
- Mark Spitz 1971
- Tim Shaw 1975
- John Naber 1977
- Tracy Caulkins 1978
- Janet Evans 1989
- Michael Phelps 2003
- Jessica Long 2006
- Missy Franklin 2013
That is one heck of a picture.
What year was Biondi made a finalist?
Was that 1989 when he went against Evans or before?
He must have had very strong competitors.
Because I’d rate Biondi’s 1988 far stronger than Franklin’s 2012.
For a swimmer to be awarded the Sullivan Award is a big accomplishment. The AAU has a small swimming program geared to the novice level swimmers.
Check out her acceptance speech
http://aausports.org/News/ArticleDetail.aspx?Title=Missy+Franklin+awarded+83rd+AAU+Sullivan+Award&ArticleID=4881
You can earn money and win the Sullivan Award ,Sarah Hughes won it and made money on the Tom Collins ice shows and a few endorsements in Figure Skating The swimmers before Phelps didn’t earn money.
The boy is very small! The girls are very tall! Congrats Missy!
Awesome list she joins and deserves.
As far as I can tell it’s for the top American amateur athlete. Sullivan award is presented by the American AAU. Either way, congrats Missy!
Phelps turned pro in 2001, how could he have won this award in 2003?